Kenya is to inaugurate the Thimlich Ohinga archaeological landmark as its seventh UNESCO world heritage site on April 18 in a bid to boost tourism to the area. Located approximately 360km west of Nairobi in Migori County, the site was first placed on the World Heritage list in July 2018 owing to its state of preservation, its architectural significance and its ability to better showcase the interaction between man and his environment.
Thimlich Ohinga is a dry-stone walled settlement, based on a complex organisational system of communal occupation, craft industries and livestock reflecting the cultural traditions developed by the pastoral communities of the Nyanza region of the Lake Victoria basin. Originally built in the 16th century, its settlement continued to persist well into the mid-20th century and represents the largest and best-preserved example of these particular types of dry-wall enclosures.
